


A Naked Picture of Howard Stark

by peacelight



Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bisexual Steve Rogers, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Coming Out, F/M, M/M, Steve Rogers is Not a Virgin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 14:27:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6054943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peacelight/pseuds/peacelight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Steve reveals to Tony and the rest of the world that he once drew Howard Stark naked, there is quite an uproar, Steve having been delaying dealing with the press finally sets the records straight. And typical Steve fashion he leaves the world thinking of him in a whole new light, no longer stuck with the false image that was perpetuated when he was considered dead but with a version of himself that is not scared of the word sex, and is far more open about the realities of having relationships with men and women back in the 30s and 40s.<br/>Set post avengers prior to CATWS</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Naked Picture of Howard Stark

Natasha had mentioned to Tony how awestruck the Smithsonian Exhibit had Cap, how he had been going back so much. Tony thought that Steve needed to go see a less depressing exhibit of his. 

The MET had a Captain America display which seemed perfect; Tony had been responsible for most of the artwork that was displayed there. So Tony invited Steve to visit and check out his floor in the Avengers towers, plus a chance to go to the museum with him. 

Steve was looking forward to his day out with Tony, he always missed the city. Steve hadn't really had a chance to explore New York after the battle, and then he had been relocated to Washington so fast. 

Steve and Tony had dressed as civilians, less flashy civilians in Tony’s case. Tony knew that Steve preferred to fly under the radar. The pair made their way to the back of the Museum. Steve couldn't understand why Tony wasn't stopping at any of the exhibits. 

“Can we just take a second, Tony?” Steve exclaimed. They didn't have anywhere to be, what was Stark’s damage? Tony had been the one to suggest the museum in the first place. 

“Just trust me, you want to see this first.” Tony couldn’t wait for Steve’s reaction. Patience had never been his virtue. 

They walked towards the wall that displayed Steve’s sketches, and the few paintings he had done. 

Tony watched as Steve’s jaw dropped, his whole body went still, it was clear he was in shock. 

“Those are my...my drawings.” Steve stumbled out. 

“Yup, after my dad realized you weren’t coming back he donated some of your sketch books to the museum, and over the years some of the sketches you did for others were turned in either by donation or bought, your drawings are worth a pretty penny. The ones my dad had have been apprised for a few thousand a piece. There was a random one of a monkey on a unicycle that my dad was rather found of but as you can see I donated it.” Tony babbled, he was hoping Steve was happy not sad, because there were tears in his eyes, and he couldn’t deal with tearful Cap. 

Steve couldn’t believe that his art was in museums, it was honestly dumbfounding. His stupid little sketches were worth thousands of dollars. They were all in black and white, not just because he was colorblind but because the cheap charcoals were all he and Bucky could afford.

“I... um... drew that the night we flew to rescue Bucky, I gave it to Howard as a thank you for flying me there.” Steve took a deep breath trying to steady his racing heart. 

“You had skill Cap, I’ll give you that.” Tony said.

“Thank you Tony.” Steve was so thankful that Tony had brought him here. Why hadn’t anyone mentioned this to him before? Steve realized they all must have assumed he knew. He really should google himself more often. 

“I have to ask where are all your sketches, I know artist types, they have sketch books upon sketch books filled, all the collectors in the world and no one has found much of your work.” Tony looked up at Steve expecting a quick answer, I put them in storage here, and then Tony could simply go and get them.

Tony was now sure that Steve was happy about these so he wanted to help, make the capiscale have a better time in this century. The avengers never really talked about it but it was pretty common knowledge that Steve had been having a rough time. 

“Well the stuff in my apartment is here in a freaking museum, but most of my sketchbooks went to Peggy and Howard for safe keeping.” Steve said, he remembered the day, he didn’t want to get rid of his work, but he didn’t want to get arrested either, his art quite clearly showed that he was no stranger to male or female form. He had just gotten into the army, he didn’t want to get pink slipped out. 

“Well that complicates things, all the stuff my Dad kept has been donated already. You’re kind of looking at it. As for Peggy, if she hid something you can never find it.” Tony frowned this was going to be harder than he thought. Maybe when Peggy was more lucid she would tell one of them, why hadn’t Steve asked about his sketches. Of course Tony realized that had more important things to catch up on. 

“This can’t be everything your Dad had.” Steve said with certainty.

“Pal, I know my old man, and I took everything he hadn’t already donated of yours and donated it.” Tony stated.

“I drew him a specific picture and trust me it's not here.” Steve said, with a small smile.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Maybe you're losing your mind old man. My dad loved showing off all of his favorite soldiers’ art, he showed me everything, at least six times.”

“You were his son, I doubt he showed you that particular picture.” Steve laughed, Howard was a weird and open man, but there was no way he would show that to his son. 

“My Dad wasn’t a shy guy. War time horrors were just learning moments.” Tony said narrowing his eyes, there was a twinkle in Steve’s eyes that he didn’t quite trust. 

Steve chuckled. “He might have been shy about being buck naked. Unless things have changed so much that man is that open with his own son.”

“WHAT” Tony looked like he was going to have a stroke.

Steve realized this would be a great time to troll Tony, that’s the term people were using right? Steve hoped so. This would be fun. What was a harmless innuendo among friends? Steve hadn’t expected Tony to look so shocked, he had to capitalize on this. 

People began to look around and spotted not one but two avengers.

Steve made the smart tactical decision to retreat. But Tony would not shut up. “Naked picture of my Dad, how, what, why, oh god.”

“Tony this isn’t the time or place to talk about this.” Steve laughed, trying to look slightly embarrassed and watched Tony eye’s narrowing, thinking of a particular possible explanation as to why Steve would ever draw something like that. 

“Is that Captain America!” 

“Did Tony Stark say Captain America drew naked pictures?” 

“Oh god!” Tony blurted out.

“Tony” Steve tried to sound nervous. “That’s not something one talks about in public.”

Steve started to rush out of the museum because he could sense the beginnings of a mob forming, Tony followed him but it clearly looked like he had been hit on the head. 

Lucky for Steve he had ridden his bike here, while Tony had Happy drive him. 

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?!” Tony yelled, drawing even more attention. 

“I’ll meet you at the tower, in a bit I want to go around the city for a while.” Steve smiled. 

“You can’t just say I drew a naked picture of your dad and then drive away!” Tony said. “I want an explanation.”

“Find the picture it will explain everything, I captioned it.” Steve laughed, that wasn’t a lie. Steve had purposely made his caption vague but Tony didn’t need to know that. 

Steve turned on his bike, and sped away, leaving a very annoyed Tony, and a kid with a cell phone and a video that was seconds from going viral. 

***

Tony didn’t go back to the tower, he went back to the house he grew up in. Now Tony had gone through his dad’s stuff plenty of times, and he had come across more than one compromising picture of his father, he had never looked at them closely because he wasn’t disturbed. 

“Okay, Happy this is a measure of how deep our friendship runs, you are going to look through a box marked depraved adventures of my disturbing father, and tell me if you find a sketch or painting done by none other than Captain America.” Tony stated, and watched Happy give him a look that said what the fuck are you on. 

“You want me to what?” Happy asked. 

“Look at naked and semi naked pictures of my dad, obviously I can’t because I’m his son, but someone has too.” Tony said as he walked towards one of the many safes in the mansion, this was one was his father's personal safe which housed most of his sex shit, but it also had a lot of important documents, so Tony had been forced to sort through a lot of stuff, back in the day, he might have been 16 and drunk hence the box.

“But why?”

“I just told you Captain America drew my dad nude, what are you not getting” Tony snapped back.

“Okay boss, are you sure you aren’t drunk or maybe someone hit you on the head.” Happy said softly. 

“He said he did it okay, now I need that picture.” Tony realized he sounded a tad hysterical. “I’m not drunk okay, or losing my mind, Steve Rogers said he drew it, I just need to know what he said on it, okay, so start looking.” “Please” Tony added as an afterthought. 

Happy sighed, and nodded, he had done weirder stuff for his boss. 

Happy couldn’t believe how many pictures Howard Stark had of himself by himself, and with other people. This guy was really as kinky as people said. Did he ever have time to invent something? 

There was an envelope at the bottom, your naked picture from your favorite soldier. Happy was surprised that Tony might be right after all. He was sure that this was some weird mental break. Captain America wouldn’t ever draw naked pictures of anyone he was Captain America. 

“Um boss I think I found it.” Happy said.

Tony had spent the last 20 minutes mentally preparing himself for this possibility, he was so not prepared. 

“Fuck, it’s real.” Tony moaned. 

“Apparently, I haven’t opened the envelope yet, it just says “your naked picture from your favorite soldier.” 

“Well open it already!” Tony shouted. 

Happy did, and sure enough there was a page that looked like it had been ripped out of a sketchbook, with a hilariously posed Howard Stark, in all his natural glory, it looked to be set in a army tent, and there was a caption at the bottom that said thanks for a life changing night, I’m really glad we tested the limits of this new body together, yours always Steve Rogers. 

Happy’s eyes widened, Steve Rogers had a sex with Howard Stark, Tony was going to explode. 

“You sure you want to see this boss, some things can’t be unseen.” Happy said. 

“Give it to me!” Tony exclaimed. 

“That fucker, I’m going to kill him!” Tony said as he read the picture. You can’t be friends with a guy for months and not mention the fact that you slept with his dad! 

Howard spent years looking for Steve, millions of dollars, and now it all made sense. Steve had some explaining to do! 

“We need to go to the tower now!” Tony shouted. 

Tony was fuming the entire drive over there. This was so not a visual he wanted. He had to give to his dad though, he even got virginal Steve Rogers into the sack, the man had skill. 

Back at the tower Steve was having a grand old time trolling his fellow avengers. He hated his reputation of being a viriginal goodie toe shoes, it was fun screwing with his friends. They were all shocked, Steve hadn’t slept with Howard but letting people think that was just so satisfying, Steve almost wished he had, then he wouldn’t have to be so careful with his phrasing. After all Steve was no liar. 

“Come on Rogers spill, what the hell was that video, it made it sound like you and Tony’s dad were banging.” Clint accused. 

“What does banging mean, and if it means what I think it means Clint that’s not the appropriate way to talk to people.” Steve scolded, trying to hold back a grin. 

Sam who had come with Steve narrowed his eyes, Natasha wasn’t buying it yet either, she knew Steve wasn’t this wholesome. 

“Quit the grampa routine Rogers, you aren’t fooling anyone.” Natasha rolled her eyes, Steve wasn’t so sure about that, Rhodey looked pretty horrified, but he had heard Tony’s stories about Howard so this whole thing made some sense to him. Pepper bought it too for the same reason, she was just too focused on dealing with the media firestorm that was going on in reaction to this video, 

“Look I just think some things have become a bit too open in this century, some things are private.” Steve said, trying to sell it to Sam and Natasha. 

“So you slept with Howard?” Natasha asked point blank, just as Tony stormed in with a nervous Happy behind him, waving the picture around like a maniac. 

“You rat bastard,” Tony exclaimed.

“You found it!” Steve exclaimed. He walked towards Tony completely ignoring the gasp that Sam made, he even saw Widow look slightly surprised. 

“Aww this brings back so many good memories.” Steve said, and watched Tony look even more scandalized. 

“You motherfucker!” 

“I think you mean, fatherfucker.” Clint laughed at this awful joke. Tony glared at him, while Steve couldn’t help but giggle at that. 

“What the hell do you call this?” Tony asked. 

“A charcoal sketch, it’s all I really had access to back then.” Steve stated. 

“Okay, listen up everyone!” Pepper yelled, which drew all the attention back to her. “That video of you two has gone viral, people are arguing whether you were gay, Steve things have gotten personal, people want to interview you pretty badly, now I can hold them off as usual…”

“No don’t” Steve said calmly, he had been looking to adjust his image for a while, he just hadn’t felt like talking to a bunch of vultures but he had to deal with the truth sooner or later. 

“Are you sure, you said after your return that you wouldn’t do interviews.” Pepper had been relaying messages to the media through statements, Steve hadn’t really done any personal appearances. Pepper had just expected Steve to decline as usual. 

“I want to do an interview, set it up, the sooner the better.” Steve said with a smile. 

“You can be on air tomorrow if you like.” Pepper said, if Steve finally did an interview that would make her life a lot easier. 

“Your pick of reporters, there will be a fierce bidding war for your first interview.” Pepper talked directly to Steve as the rest of the group watched. 

“Anyone, whoever you think is best.” Steve said with a smile. 

“Okay, I’ll set it up.” Pepper said. She trusted Steve to understand what he was getting into. 

“So what happened to some things are too personal to talk about?” Natasha asked. 

“When in Rome right?” Steve said with a smile, “Anyhow it’s not like the cats still in the bag.”

“You’re going on national television to talk about how you slept with my dad!” Tony shouted, this had to be some sick dream.

“Tony I will be respectful, and honest. The people deserve that.” Steve said, “Anyhow I have an interview to get ready for, it’s been a while, I’m sure all your questions will be answered tomorrow.”

Steve walked away with the sketch to his floor, he had been prepared for this interview for a while, not the Howard part, but the story was funny it would be a nice ice breaker. This should teach his friends not to make assumptions about him. 

“I can’t believe the Cap actually had the sex.” Clint laughed. 

“Tony you good man?” Rhodey asked. 

“This has been the most disturbing moment of my life, but props to dad, he deflowered fucking Captain America.” Tony visibly shuddered at the thought though. 

“We should call Thor, he will want to watch the interview” Clint suggested. 

“I’m so recording this.” Sam said. 

“I'll go with him.” Tony said. He had to be there to punch Steve once, he was entitled, there had to be a rule about guys not sleeping with a friend's dad, he didn’t care if it was before he was born and before he ever met Steve, there were rules!

***

The interview with Anderson Cooper was the only thing people were talking about and it hadn’t even aired. 

“Okay Steve are you sure you don’t want to submit talking points.”Pepper asked for the thousandth time, Steve was not talking any prep he was just going out blind. Pepper had thought this wouldn’t be stressful, Steve was usually so cooperative. 

“Pepper breath, this will be fine.” Steve said trying to be charming. “Trust me.” 

“You sure about this Cap, you are about to change your image forever, coming out of the closet is a big deal, people are already screaming for your head.” Tony didn’t want Steve to regret this even if he was still annoyed with him. 

“Tony nothing about coming out scares me.” Steve laughed. 

Steve was wearing a casual blue shirt and jeans, he didn’t want to be too formal, he walked in front of the cameras, he was glad that this was live. He had insisted on that, he didn’t want his words edited in any way. 

“Welcome Captain, I must say this is an honour, truly.” Mr. Cooper said. 

“Nice to meet you Mr. Cooper.” Steve said smiling at the cameras. 

“Call me Anderson, I’ve been a fan of yours since I was a child, as was most of this country, so I must say it was a miracle when you came back to us. We’ve been dying to talk to you since then.” Anderson said. 

Steve was still embarrassed by this. “Well I’m really just a regular guy, with a super serum enhanced body.” 

Anderson laughed. “I never thought that a naked picture would be the reason you would be giving your first interview, yet here we are. Should we jump right into things?” 

Steve smiled. “Oh yes, let's dive right in, I brought the picture with me.” 

“So you really drew Howard Stark naked?” Anderson clarified, he was surprised, he had expected this to be a denial, damage control sort of thing. Perhaps he was really going to get a career making interview out of this after all. 

“Oh yes sir, I did” Steve imagined Tony groaning back stage and smiled even wider. “It seems to be creating quite a stir.”

“That surprises you, it was big news.” Anderson stated inquiringly. 

Steve laughed. “No not really which is why I mentioned it to Tony in the first place, you should have seen his face, it was priceless.” 

“It is his father you're talking about, why don’t you tell us about the circumstances surrounding the sketch?” Anderson was clearly was hoping Steve would be retelling his big coming out moment, but Steve wasn’t going there yet, after all he had an hour. 

“Well, Anderson, it was back during the war, the commandos and I had taken over this hydra base and recovered some impressive tech, which is why Howard dropped by. That night we were all sitting around, whenever Howard visited he brought the good alcohol, or so I’m told, I can’t really get drunk.” Steve sighed, he really hated that. 

“Anyways, even back then people had certain assumptions about me, it seems everyone thinks I’m unaware of sex, or just naked people in general.” Steve rolled his eyes. “It was ridiculous, but anyways I can’t remember who was teasing me I think it was dum dum, it was probably dum dum.” 

“That’s Timothy Dugan, of the Howling Commandos for those who don’t know.” Anderson clarified. 

“It was him, see I was sketching, as I usually did in our down time, and he said it sucks I never used the drawing thing to talk to dames. They were right that I wasn’t ever good with women, but they took a bit far, seeing as they were well on their way to drunk, unfortunately Bucky knew better. I had done some nude drawings, when money wasn’t super tight I had done some art classes, plus for some...um...more personal reasons… ” Steve watched as Cooper remained neutral at least he was a professional. “This news drove the guys into a field day, teasing me, or saying I would never have drawn someone naked yadayada.”

Tony groaned so maybe Steve just slept around, maybe he really did break his dad’s heart. 

“Howard especially didn’t buy it even at Bucky’s insistence that I had spent days trying to draw this male model nude for one of my classes, and how our apartment had been filled with pictures of him. I kept messing up because of my coughing fits.” Steve laughed. 

“Do you still have those sketches?” Anderson asked. 

“Oh heavens no, even as an artist, I could have gotten arrested for that, could never be too careful.” Steve waved off. “Anyways Howard always liked to take things a little far, and said if I was such a liberal artist that I should draw him, now I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge.” 

Steve smirked as realization drew on Anderson’s face, his painting wasn’t as a result of an affair but a drunken challenge. 

“I said I would be happy to draw him, and I think that surprised Howard but he wasn’t going to back down either, especially with the others egging us on. There was a lot of back and forth, until I stood up walked to my tent and said ‘Howard either come in and strip or stopping wasting my time’ I wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he took a chug of his whiskey and tossed off his belt, and he said I kid you not ‘you better be ready this is all natural no serum necessary for this greatness.’”

Tony groaned that sounded like something his father would say,

“So you drew him because of a drunken challenge.” Cooper clarified. 

“Yes, why did you think I drew him?” Steve asked. 

“Well, there was a lot of talk that perhaps you too had been intimate during the war, after all Howard Stark famously spent decades looking for you.”

Steve smile fell, “he did?”

“No one told you?” Cooper said. “Howard Stark thought he could at least find your body, and as you know that was not a success.”

“No I didn’t, we were good friends, that all.” Steve sighed. Fuck he shouldn’t have joked around with Tony like that, he might have brought up some feelings.

“Well this was a good story, can we see the sketch.” Cooper changed the subject sensing that Steve wasn’t going to say anything on the subject. 

“Sure, now before I show you guys, you need some more context.” 

Anderson waited for Steve to continue. 

“Howard spent most of the time making vulgar innuendos trying to get me to blush, and all, I am ashamed to admit that he got me to blush at one point, which he never stopped holding over my head, anyways I captioned it in a way to hopefully make it sound as if something had occurred in retaliation. It just made him happier to be honest though” Steve pulled of the sheet that had been set up to cover the sketch. 

“That’s quite a caption and a detailed picture.” Anderson tried to sound unaffected. 

“I do try my best to be through” Steve smirked. “I knew that Howard wouldn’t show the picture to the wrong people and so I was a bit vague with the caption, but I also referenced the experiments that he had run after the serum, if the picture did fall into the wrong hands, after all I didn’t have the best reputation.” Steve watched as Cooper digested the information that Steve had just confessed. 

“What reputation are you referring too?” 

“Well the one I had as Steve Rogers.” 

“Can you elaborate?”

“Sure, I mean I get how I got saddled with the whole family values thing, the US government wasn’t going to advertise that their new poster boy grew up in a gay neighborhood and had a reputation as a trouble maker.” 

“I can’t imagine Steve Rogers being thought of as a trouble maker.” 

Steve laughed, “Buddy do I have news for you, Bucky was the golden boy despite being friends with me. Somehow you all got it backwards now days.” 

“Really?” 

“I find my whole, boy with a heart of gold and terrible luck with the dames a laughable legacy.”

“Where you good with women?” Anderson promoted, he was clearly fishing for Steve to fess up to his sexuality now. 

“I mean I always had trouble with the ladies which is true, but you can’t really blame them. I wasn’t as discreet as you should have been back then, I always had a big mouth and a pension for picking fights I shouldn’t but news spread pretty quickly back then.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Back then, as I’m sure you know, being a woman was tough, she couldn’t just have fun with a fella not really, she had to always be looking for a good husband, I was always sick, no one not even me knew if I was even going to be around to marry, let alone be able to provide for a wife, women had the misfortune of always being unfairly short on options, on top of that I had discovered that fella’s had no such worry, so I had a better luck with them, but that spread pretty quick, not that I didn’t have a hand in that, I was always fighting people for using slurs and for attacking those unlucky enough to have been outed back then. Anyways the point is it back then it was clear that Steve Rogers wasn’t marriage material.” Steve had just come out, and he had done it in particular Steve fashion while criticizing other people's behavior. 

“So Steve no pressure but you are saying that you are gay.” Anderson Cooper had just been handed the story of his life, he hadn’t actually expected Steve to come out. 

“Nope, see back then we didn’t have a word for a lot of things, which is one of things I like best about his century, you are all finally creating some ways to dialogue about this stuff, but I’ve always liked men and women just the same, I think the best term is bisexual.”: Steve said. 

“And you’ve always known this?” Anderson asked. 

“I mean I was in love with Bucky for years, so I always knew that a particular fella got my gears going, but the thing was I looked at men and women and saw them the same way really. Both beautiful, Bucky was just one of the only people who ever looked at me the same way.” Steve was coming clean about everything that didn’t mean that talking about Bucky didn't’ still hurt, it was still an open wound.

“Bucky Barnes was your childhood best friend and the only one in your unit to give his life in service, did he know how you felt?” 

“I would hope so considering we were together for years.” Steve said. 

“Well Steve this is certainly big news, you too were able to keep this quite? Were you together during the war, after all you had a famous relationship with Peggy Carter?” Anderson didn’t even know where to start. 

“Um...well me and Buck gave it a real go but times were even harder back then, I had been more experimental in my youth, and despite Bucky’s outward display of dates, there is only so long you can hide. It was getting too hard, there was no safe way to be together forever in those days. It broke my heart, that pain, I can’t describe it but about a year before Bucky was deployed, I ended things. Bucky still had enough of his reputation to find a woman he could have a life with.” Steve gulped and tried to keep his emotions at bay. 

That year he had gotten so sick, he didn’t want Bucky to be stuck with him. Bucky had been pretty stubborn trying to show Steve that he didn’t care that they could be together anyhow, but then he enlisted and he understood for the first time what Steve knew all along, you don’t want to saddle your loved one with the worry that they might lose you tomorrow. 

“Life was never a movie, being gay and staying alive back then was a struggle, it took the romance out of things, but I wanted Bucky to have a life, who knew how long I would live anyways.” Steve wasn’t going to sugar coat the struggle. The reality of the hate that people had. 

Anderson was shocked and despite his professionalism, he couldn’t help but show emotion at this. 

“Bucky always tried to set me up with dates, but again I had that reputation and I was always easily flustered around women. But life goes on, and I was finally accepted into the army, I met Peggy Carter at basic training, and boy she made an impression, she punched a guy straight in the jaw, I fell for her a little bit right there.” 

Anderson just let Steve talk clearly this was something he needed to get off his chest. 

“I think I embarrassed myself more than anything with her, but she became my friend first, she actually showed me how to through an effective punch, Bucky had always been bigger than me, but Peggy showed me how to use my size to my advantage, after project rebirth, we got so much closer. I didn’t have to be good with talking to women, Peggy was good at talking to me. I fell in love with her before the serum, and she loved me back.” Steve closed his eyes for a moment, he just needed a moment. 

“She knew about me, I mean she loved me knowing that I had been with men, she loved me despite me being a tiny asthmatic, punk. Both Bucky and Peggy had loved me before this.” Steve waved a hand over his body.

“But as all good things must end, Peggy went off to Europe and I went on tour. By the way if any of your grandparents said they slept with Captain America back in the day, they were probably telling the truth, I had been heartbroken, I was a little bit promiscuous.”

Anderson laughed. “Stop me if you don’t want to discuss this, what happened when both Peggy and Bucky were back in your life?” 

“Nothing, the both new about each other, we had more pressing concerns, like the war. I loved them both, in different ways, Bucky was the love that was born in childhood, a partner in crime, Peggy was born in war, passionate and brand new. Bucky made me reckless while Peggy supported me. I don’t know what would have happened after the war, but during the war, the only real focus was making it to tomorrow.” 

Steve remembered his time during the war, he and Bucky had been broken up for so long, but the fire and never gone away, but Bucky had been happy for him. Peggy never held his past against him.

“I’ll never know how the two greatest people I ever knew ever decided to love me, but I will cherish every moment I had with them.”

“I must ask, why did you decide to come out now?” 

“I’ve been thinking about setting the records about me straight, as it were for a while. I recently was shown the captain america exhibit in the Smithsonian, I’ve been there quite a bit, and it took me awhile to deal with the material about me. See for everyone I had been dead for decades but when I came out of the ice the war wasn’t a distant memory.” 

Steve took a deep breath and continued “when I put that plane down, I had just watched Bucky die two days ago, I had just had what I thought would be my last conversation with Peggy where I knowingly promised things I knew wouldn’t happen, and then not even a week after I fought with the avengers, I had a tough go at adjusting, I just wasn’t ready to talk to the world about how I felt, when I could barely think about it myself.” 

“I think I speak for everyone, when I say I can’t imagine what it must have been like to wake up, and deal with all of this.” 

“I saw the world had changed a lot, not always for the better, but I want people to know how I felt, so that perhaps people will see that men like me were not a phase, or just a new trend. I want you to remember, that all the things I accomplished still happened, but they were done by a bisexual man.” 

“This is going to inspire a lot of people, but people are still bigots are you ready to deal with that.” Anderson promoted. 

“Buddy, I’ve been fighting bullies all my life.” Steve smirked, “I love a good fight.” 

Anderson laughed. 

“I just have one last thing to say,” Steve said. 

“Go right ahead.” Anderson motioned. 

“Back in my day, the feelings I had were considered a disease, and I had a hard time dealing with that. I was so sick, maybe the bigots were right, but the serum was meant to cure every disease and sure hell it did, I wasn’t colour blind or asthmatic, my spine healed, as did my heart and my lungs, my bones were no longer brittle, and so on, and so on, but my feelings didn’t change. I realized that day I wasn’t infected by a disease.” 

“You are right about that.” Anderson knew that this interview wouldn’t change things that much, but it would make things easier for some people, a lot of people were going to see Captain America is whole new type of hero. 

“You should all learn from the mistakes of the past, centuries of causing pain should be enough, no one should ever think that loving someone is a disease, kids shouldn’t be so desperate as to kill themselves before living honest lives. you shouldn’t have to end a loving relationship just because you are afraid to get caught, and perhaps die as a result. I had friends that ended up dead in alleys because a mob beat them to death, there should be no more excuses. The world needs to change.” 

If there had been an audience it would be the moment for a standing ovation. The Captain did have a way with words, it was his whole persona it drew you in and made you want to listen. 

“With that inspiring speech we end our interview. Thank you again Steve Rogers.”

Tony stood at the sidelines waiting for Steve. 

“I cannot believe you made me suffer the thought you and my dad have sex, you willly son of a bitch.” Tony knew that Cap must have been an emotional mess right now. He was starting to understand that Steve’s way of showing love was messing with you, at least Tony hoped so. 

“Tony I never knew about Howard, or the things he did, I didn’t mean to really screw with your feelings.” Steve said, he didn’t want to mess up his relationship with Tony. 

“Dude, don’t even worry about it. I can appreciate a good joke.” Tony smiled. “I still cannot believe that Captain America came out to the world all because of a naked sketch of Howard Stark, he would be damn proud.” 

Steve smiled “I think he really would be.” 

*** 

Howard Stark's sketch soon found itself the centerpiece of the MET exhibit. Steve Rogers declaration of bisexuality alienated the republicans but gave Steve a new war to fight and one he was happy to fight. Steve really had never been happy without a cause to rally behind, and this time it was his own.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys liked my interpretation of Steve and how he could have easily had feelings for both Bucky and Peggy, and one is not more valid than the other, they are just different. I wanted to make a nod to the possibility of Howard having one sided feelings for Steve - because of the whole Agent Carter thing - I loved him too - anyways I just picked Anderson Cooper because he was the first guy to come to mind. Plus since the MCU deprived us of seeing Tony and Steve becoming friends I thought I would attempt to incorporate into my fic. I would love to hear your thoughts, comment or kudos if you like and you can always talk to me on tumblr charlserik :) Happy Reading


End file.
